Offered Papers Theme A: Efficient Production from Grassland
Description
Elephant-grass is a tropical forage grass used either as a supplement fodder or for direct grazing. It usually shows regular nutritive value (6-13% crude protein, CP, and 55-60% forage digestibility) (Alcantara et al., 1981). Most of the available cultivars produce no viable seeds. On the other hand, pearl millet has high seed yielding potential along with high quality forage (>15% CP and 70% forage digestibility). However, it shows poor forage production, low field persistence under grazing and low regrowth potential after cutting or grazing. During the 90's, an interspecific hybrid between the two species was developed, trying to combine the elephant-grass adaaptability and forage yielding potential with the pearl millet forage quality and seed yielding potential (Schank et al., 1993; Schank, 1996). The new genetic material was able to produce viable seeds in variable amounts (Diz et al., 1995). The main aim of this research was to produce selected populations with high phenotypic uniformities, showing high average forage production and quality.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Yield and Quality Parameters of an Interspecific Hybrid Pennisetum Purpureum Schum. (Elephant-Grass) X Pennisetum Glaucum (L.) R. Br. Stuntz (Pearl Millet)
Elephant-grass is a tropical forage grass used either as a supplement fodder or for direct grazing. It usually shows regular nutritive value (6-13% crude protein, CP, and 55-60% forage digestibility) (Alcantara et al., 1981). Most of the available cultivars produce no viable seeds. On the other hand, pearl millet has high seed yielding potential along with high quality forage (>15% CP and 70% forage digestibility). However, it shows poor forage production, low field persistence under grazing and low regrowth potential after cutting or grazing. During the 90's, an interspecific hybrid between the two species was developed, trying to combine the elephant-grass adaaptability and forage yielding potential with the pearl millet forage quality and seed yielding potential (Schank et al., 1993; Schank, 1996). The new genetic material was able to produce viable seeds in variable amounts (Diz et al., 1995). The main aim of this research was to produce selected populations with high phenotypic uniformities, showing high average forage production and quality.
